Method, Apparatus and System for Communication Between OpenFlow Device and IP Network Device

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, an apparatus, and a system for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IP network device. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, an OpenFlow control message is used to carry payload information, a field value that is in a packet header and that is used to determine a protocol type, and identification information of the IP network device that are in a TCP/IP data packet of an IP network control plane protocol message in order to encapsulate the IP network control plane protocol message into the OpenFlow control message for transmission between an OFS and an OFC, such that communication between the OpenFlow device and the IP network device can be implemented, the OFC does not need to process a TCP/IP protocol stack twice, and extra overheads of the OFC are avoided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of international patent applicationnumber PCT/CN2014/078033 filed on May 21, 2014, which is incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field ofcommunications technologies, and in particular, to a method, anapparatus, and a system for communication between an OpenFlow device andan Internet Protocol (IP) network device.

BACKGROUND

With constant development of a software-defined networking(SDN)/OpenFlow network, a scenario in which an SDN/OpenFlow network anda conventional IP network will coexist in a period of time in thefuture. The OpenFlow network is one type of SDN network in which theOpenFlow is used as a protocol. How to implement communication betweenan OpenFlow network/device and a conventional IP network/device in acase in which an existing conventional IP network/device is not modifiedis an important subject in the SDN/OpenFlow network.

An existing solution is an edge OpenFlow switch exchanges a conventionalIP network control plane protocol message with an IP switch/routerdirectly connected to the edge OpenFlow switch, for example, an openshortest path first (OSPF) link state update message (LSU), a BorderGateway Protocol (BGP) update message, or a Label Distribution Protocol(LDP) broadcast message. After receiving the conventional IP networkcontrol plane protocol message sent from the IP switch/router, the edgeOpenFlow switch encapsulates an entire Transmission ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) data packet that carries the messageinto a Packet In message and reports the Packet In message to anOpenFlow controller (OFC). After receiving the Packet In message, theOFC parses the Packet In message to obtain valid information and sendsthe valid information obtained by means of parsing to a corresponding IPnetwork control plane protocol module for processing. To enable anOpenFlow system, which includes the OpenFlow switch and a correspondingcontroller, to send the conventional IP network control plane protocolmessage to the IP switch/router directly connected to the OpenFlowsystem, an IP network control plane protocol module of the OFC firstconstructs a conventional IP network control plane protocol message, theOFC then encapsulates the message into a Packet Out message, the OFCthen sends the encapsulated Packet Out message to the edge OpenFlowswitch, and the edge OpenFlow switch extracts the correspondingconventional IP network control plane protocol message from the receivedPacket Out message and forwards the conventional IP network controlplane protocol message from a physical port specified by the Packet Outmessage to the IP switch/router directly connected to the edge OpenFlowswitch.

In the foregoing processing process, for the IP network control planeprotocol message encapsulated into the Packet In message/Packet Outmessage, the IP network control plane protocol message is generallycarried on a TCP layer. In this way, the OFC needs to process a TCP/IPprotocol stack twice, but it is extremely difficult to process twolayers of TCP/IP protocol stacks. As a result, extra overheads arebrought to the OFC, and processing a critical event using a limitedcomputing resource by the OFC is affected.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, an apparatus,and a system for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IPnetwork device, which resolves a transmission problem of an IP routingmessage on an OpenFlow network control plane, such that communicationbetween the OpenFlow device and the IP network device can beimplemented, an OFC does not need to process a TCP/IP protocol stacktwice, and extra overheads of the OFC are avoided.

According to a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides a method for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IPnetwork device, including receiving, by an OpenFlow switch (OFS), an IPnetwork control plane protocol message sent by the IP network device,converting, by the OFS, the IP network control plane protocol messageinto an OpenFlow control message, where the OpenFlow control message isused to carry information about a Transmission Control Protocol/InternetProtocol TCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocolmessage, and the information about the TCP/IP data packet includespayload information, a field value that is in a packet header and thatis used to determine a protocol type, and identification information ofthe IP network device, and sending, by the OFS, the OpenFlow controlmessage to an OFC, such that after receiving the OpenFlow controlmessage, the OFC enables, according to the protocol type carried in theOpenFlow control message, a corresponding switched network control planeprotocol component to process the OpenFlow control message.

In a first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, theconverting, by the OFS, the IP network control plane protocol messageinto an OpenFlow control message includes encapsulating, by the OFS, theidentification information of the IP network device in the TCP/IP datapacket of the IP network control plane protocol message into an addressfield in the OpenFlow control message, where the identificationinformation of the IP network device is a source IP address and/or asource Media Access Control (MAC) address in the TCP/IP data packet,correspondingly encapsulating, by the OFS, the field value that is inthe packet header of the TCP/IP data packet and that is used todetermine the protocol type into a field that is used to identify aprotocol type and that is in the OpenFlow control message, andencapsulating, by the OFS, the payload information in the TCP/IP datapacket into an information field in the OpenFlow control message.

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the firstaspect, in a second possible implementation manner of the first aspect,a packet header field in the OpenFlow control message includes thefollowing information: an Ethernet type, an IP Protocol type number, andMAC addresses, IP addresses, and destination TCP port numbers of the OFSand the OFC.

According to a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides a method for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IPnetwork device, including receiving, by an OFS, an OpenFlow controlmessage sent by an OFC, where the OpenFlow control message includes arouting message, and the routing message is payload information of an IPnetwork control plane protocol message constructed by the OFC,converting, by the OFS, the OpenFlow control message into the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message, and sending, by the OFS, the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message obtained through conversion to the IPnetwork device.

In a first possible implementation manner of the second aspect, beforethe converting, by the OFS, the OpenFlow control message into the IPnetwork control plane protocol message, the method further includesdetermining, by the OFS according to a message type in the OpenFlowcontrol message, that the payload information of the IP network controlplane protocol message is encapsulated in the OpenFlow control message.

With reference to the second aspect or the first possible implementationmanner of the second aspect, in a second possible implementation mannerof the second aspect, if the OpenFlow control message further includes adestination IP address corresponding to the IP network control planeprotocol message, the converting, by the OFS, the OpenFlow controlmessage into the IP network control plane protocol message includesfinding, by the OFS, device identification information of the IP networkdevice from a link connection database according to the destination IPaddress, where the device identification information includes at leastan IP address and/or a (MAC) address, assigning, by the OFS, the founddevice identification information of the IP network device to adestination IP network device identification information field in aTCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocol message,assigning, by the OFS, a field value that is used to identify a protocoltype and that is in the OpenFlow control message to a correspondingprotocol type field in a packet header of the TCP/IP data packet of theIP network control plane protocol message, encapsulating, by the OFS, aninformation field in the OpenFlow control message into a payload of theTCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocol message, andrespectively assigning, by the OFS, an IP address, a MAC address, and aTCP port number of the OFS to a source IP address, a source MAC address,and a TCP port number of the TCP/IP data packet of the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message.

With reference to the second possible implementation manner of thesecond aspect, in a third possible implementation manner of the secondaspect, the sending, by the OFS, the IP network control plane protocolmessage obtained through conversion to the IP network device includesfinding, by the OFS from the link connection database according to thedestination IP address, a physical port that connects the OFS to the IPnetwork device and sending, by the OFS, the IP network control planeprotocol message obtained through conversion to the IP network deviceusing the found physical port.

According to a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides an OFS, including at least one first logical interfaceconnected to an IP network device, at least one second logical interfaceconnected to an OFC, and a message converter, where the first logicalinterface is configured to receive an IP network control plane protocolmessage sent by the IP network device. The message converter isconfigured to convert the IP network control plane protocol message intoan OpenFlow control message, where the OpenFlow control message is usedto carry information about a TCP/IP data packet of the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message, and the information about the TCP/IPdata packet includes payload information, a field value that is in apacket header and that is used to determine a protocol type, andidentification information of the IP network device, and the secondlogical interface is configured to send the OpenFlow control message tothe OFC, such that after receiving the OpenFlow control message, the OFCenables, according to the protocol type carried in the OpenFlow controlmessage, a corresponding switched network control plane protocolcomponent to process the OpenFlow control message.

In a first possible implementation manner of the third aspect, that themessage converter is configured to convert the IP network control planeprotocol message into an OpenFlow control message is specificallymeaning that the message converter is configured to encapsulate theidentification information of the IP network device in the TCP/IP datapacket of the IP network control plane protocol message into an addressfield in the OpenFlow control message, where the identificationinformation of the IP network device is a source IP address and/or asource MAC address in the TCP/IP data packet, correspondinglyencapsulate the field value in the packet header of the TCP/IP datapacket and is used to determine the protocol type into a field used toidentify a protocol type and is in the OpenFlow control message, andencapsulate the payload information in the TCP/IP data packet into aninformation field in the OpenFlow control message.

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the thirdaspect, in a second possible implementation manner of the third aspect,a packet header field in the OpenFlow control message includesinformation such as an Ethernet type, an IP Protocol type number, andMAC addresses, IP addresses, and destination TCP port numbers of the OFSand the OFC.

According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides an OFS, including at least one first logical interfaceconnected to an IP network device, at least one second logical interfaceconnected to an OFC, and a message converter, where the second logicalinterface is configured to receive an OpenFlow control message sent bythe OFC, where the OpenFlow control message includes a routing message,and the routing message is payload information of an IP network controlplane protocol message constructed by the OFC, the message converter isconfigured to convert the OpenFlow control message into the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message, and the first logical interface isconfigured to send the IP network control plane protocol messageobtained through conversion to the IP network device.

In a first possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, themessage converter is further configured to determine, according to amessage type in the OpenFlow control message, that the payloadinformation of the IP network control plane protocol message isencapsulated in the OpenFlow control message before converting theOpenFlow control message into the IP network control plane protocolmessage.

With reference to the fourth aspect or the first possible implementationmanner of the fourth aspect, in a second possible implementation mannerof the fourth aspect, the OFS further includes a link connectiondatabase memory, where the link connection database memory is configuredto store the control message in a link connection database, if theOpenFlow control message further includes a destination IP addresscorresponding to the IP network control plane protocol message, themessage converter is configured to convert the OpenFlow control messageinto the IP network control plane protocol message, and the messageconverter is configured to find device identification information of theIP network device from the link connection database according to thedestination IP address, where the device identification informationincludes at least an IP address and/or a MAC address, assign the founddevice identification information of the IP network device to adestination IP network device identification information field in aTCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocol message,assign a field value that is used to identify a protocol type and thatis in the OpenFlow control message to a corresponding protocol typefield in a packet header of the TCP/IP data packet of the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message, encapsulate an information field in theOpenFlow control message into a payload of the TCP/IP data packet of theIP network control plane protocol message, and respectively assign an IPaddress, a MAC address, and a TCP port number of the OFS to a source IPaddress, a source MAC address, and a TCP port number of the TCP/IP datapacket of the IP network control plane protocol message.

With reference to the second possible implementation manner of thefourth aspect, in a third possible implementation manner of the fourthaspect, that the first logical interface is configured to find, from thelink connection database according to the destination IP address, aphysical port that connects the OFS to the IP network device, and sendthe IP network control plane protocol message obtained throughconversion to the IP network device using the found physical port.

According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides a system for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IPnetwork device, including the OFS and the OFC according to the thirdaspect or the first possible implementation manner of the third aspector the second possible implementation manner of the third aspect, wherethe OFC is configured to receive an OpenFlow control message, andenable, according to a protocol type carried in the OpenFlow controlmessage, a corresponding switched network control plane protocolcomponent to process the OpenFlow control message, or including the OFSand the OFC according to the fourth aspect or the first possibleimplementation manner of the fourth aspect or the second possibleimplementation manner of the fourth aspect or the fourth possibleimplementation manner of the fourth aspect, where the OFC is configuredto send an OpenFlow control message to the OFS, where the OpenFlowcontrol message includes a routing message, and the routing message ispayload information of an IP network control plane protocol messageconstructed by the OFC.

According to a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides an OFS, including a receiver connected to an IP network device,and a transmitter, a memory, and a processor that are connected to anOFC, where the receiver is configured to receive an IP network controlplane protocol message sent by the IP network device, the memory isconfigured to store program code, the processor is configured to invokethe program code stored in the memory to perform the following step:converting the IP network control plane protocol message into anOpenFlow control message, where the OpenFlow control message is used tocarry information about a TCP/IP data packet of the IP network controlplane protocol message, and the information about the TCP/IP data packetincludes payload information, a field value that is in a packet headerand that is used to determine a protocol type, and identificationinformation of the IP network device, and the transmitter is configuredto send the OpenFlow control message to the OFC, such that afterreceiving the OpenFlow control message, the OFC enables, according tothe protocol type carried in the OpenFlow control message, acorresponding switched network control plane protocol component toprocess the OpenFlow control message.

In a first possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, theconverting, by the processor, the IP network control plane protocolmessage into an OpenFlow control message includes encapsulating theidentification information of the IP network device in the TCP/IP datapacket of the IP network control plane protocol message into an addressfield in the OpenFlow control message, where the identificationinformation of the IP network device is a source IP address and/or asource MAC address in the TCP/IP data packet, correspondinglyencapsulating the field value that is in the packet header of the TCP/IPdata packet and that is used to determine the protocol type into a fieldthat is used to identify a protocol type and that is in the OpenFlowcontrol message, and encapsulating the payload information in the TCP/IPdata packet into an information field in the OpenFlow control message.

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the sixthaspect, in a second possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect,a packet header field in the OpenFlow control message includesinformation such as an Ethernet type, an IP Protocol type number, andMAC addresses, IP addresses, and destination TCP port numbers of the OFSand the OFC.

According to a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides an OFS, including a transmitter connected to an IP networkdevice, and a receiver, a memory, and a processor that are connected toan OFC, where the receiver is configured to receive an OpenFlow controlmessage sent by the OFC, where the OpenFlow control message includes arouting message, and the routing message is payload information of an IPnetwork control plane protocol message constructed by the OFC, thememory is configured to store program code, the processor is configuredto invoke the program code stored in the memory, to perform thefollowing step: converting the OpenFlow control message into the IPnetwork control plane protocol message, and the transmitter isconfigured to send the IP network control plane protocol messageobtained through conversion to the IP network device.

In a first possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, themethod performed by the processor further includes determining,according to a message type in the OpenFlow control message, that thepayload information of the IP network control plane protocol message isencapsulated in the OpenFlow control message before converting theOpenFlow control message into the IP network control plane protocolmessage.

With reference to the seventh aspect or the first possibleimplementation manner of the seventh aspect, in a second possibleimplementation manner of the seventh aspect, the memory is furtherconfigured to store the OpenFlow control message in a link connectiondatabase, and if the OpenFlow control message further includes adestination IP address corresponding to the IP network control planeprotocol message, the converting, by the processor, the OpenFlow controlmessage into the IP network control plane protocol message includesfinding device identification information of the IP network device fromthe link connection database according to the destination IP address,where the device identification information includes at least an IPaddress and/or a MAC address, assigning the found device identificationinformation of the IP network device to a destination IP network deviceidentification information field in a TCP/IP data packet of the IPnetwork control plane protocol message, assigning a field value that isused to identify a protocol type and that is in the OpenFlow controlmessage to a corresponding protocol type field in a packet header of theTCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocol message,encapsulating an information field in the OpenFlow control message intoa payload of the TCP/IP data packet of the IP network control planeprotocol message, and respectively assigning an IP address, a MACaddress, and a TCP port number of the OFS to a source IP address, asource MAC address, and a TCP port number of the TCP/IP data packet ofthe IP network control plane protocol message.

With reference to the second possible implementation manner of theseventh aspect, in a third possible implementation manner of the seventhaspect, the transmitter is configured to send the IP network controlplane protocol message obtained through conversion to the IP networkdevice includes finding, from the link connection database according tothe destination IP address, a physical port that connects the OFS to theIP network device, and sending the IP network control plane protocolmessage obtained through conversion to the IP network device using thefound physical port.

According to an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides a system for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IPnetwork device, including the OFS and the OFC according to the sixthaspect or the first possible implementation manner of the sixth aspector the second possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, wherethe OFC is configured to receive an OpenFlow control message, andenable, according to a protocol type carried in the OpenFlow controlmessage, a corresponding switched network control plane protocolcomponent to process the OpenFlow control message, or including the OFSand the OFC according to the seventh aspect or the first possibleimplementation manner of the seventh aspect or the second possibleimplementation manner of the seventh aspect or the third possibleimplementation manner of the seventh aspect, where the OFC is configuredto send an OpenFlow control message to the OFS, where the OpenFlowcontrol message includes a routing message, and the routing message ispayload information of an IP network control plane protocol messageconstructed by the OFC.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide the method, theapparatus, and the system for communication between an OpenFlow deviceand an IP network device. According to the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, an OpenFlow control message is used to carry payloadinformation, a field value that is in a packet header and that is usedto determine a protocol type, and identification information of the IPnetwork device that are in a TCP/IP data packet of an IP network controlplane protocol message in order to encapsulate the IP network controlplane protocol message into the OpenFlow control message fortransmission between an OFS and an OFC, such that communication betweenthe OpenFlow device and the IP network device can be implemented, theOFC does not need to process a TCP/IP protocol stack twice, and extraoverheads of the OFC are avoided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the presentdisclosure more clearly, the following briefly describes theaccompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments. Theaccompanying drawings in the following description show some embodimentsof the present disclosure, and persons of ordinary skill in the art maystill derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings withoutcreative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of Embodiment 1 of a method for communicationbetween an OpenFlow device and an IP network device according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of Embodiment 2 of a method for communicationbetween an OpenFlow device and an IP network device according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of an OFSaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 2 of an OFSaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 3 of an OFSaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 4 of an OFSaccording to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 5 of an OFSaccording to the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of theembodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the following clearlydescribes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the presentdisclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings in theembodiments of the present disclosure. The described embodiments aresome but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. All otherembodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based onthe embodiments of the present disclosure without creative efforts shallfall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, an apparatus,and a system for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IPnetwork device, such that communication between the OpenFlow device andthe IP network device can be implemented, an OFC does not need toprocess a TCP/IP protocol stack twice, and extra overheads of the OFCare avoided. On the other hand, in some approaches, a Packet In messageand a Packet Out message in the OpenFlow specification are used toprocess a data packet forwarded on a data plane, but an IP networkcontrol plane protocol message between an OpenFlow switch and a nonOpenFlow switch is a control plane message. In some approaches, acontrol plane message between the OpenFlow switch and an IPswitch/router directly connected to the OpenFlow switch and common userdata are transmitted together as a same type of message, which does notfacilitate distinguishing and processing of the two types of messages.The embodiments of the present disclosure may further resolve theproblem. The OpenFlow device disclosed herein refers to an OpenFlowswitch controlled by an OpenFlow controller, and uses the OpenFlow as acommunication protocol. The IP network device refers to a switch/routerin a conventional IP network, and uses the IP protocol as acommunication protocol. The following describes a method forcommunication between an OpenFlow device and an IP network deviceprovided in the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of Embodiment 1 of a method for communicationbetween an OpenFlow device and an IP network device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. The OpenFlow device and the IPnetwork device communicate with each other using an edge OpenFlow switch(eOFS) connected to an OFC. The eOFS is an OpenFlow switch directlyconnected to a conventional IP switch/router, and the eOFS is controlledby one or more controllers. In an embodiment, an OFS is an eOFS. Thisembodiment is described using the OFS to execute the method. As shown inFIG. 1, the method in this embodiment may include the following steps.

Step S101: The OFS receives an IP network control plane protocol messagesent by the IP network device.

Step S102: The OFS converts the IP network control plane protocolmessage into an OpenFlow control message, where the OpenFlow controlmessage is used to carry information about a TCP/IP data packet of theIP network control plane protocol message, and the information about theTCP/IP data packet includes payload information, a field value that isin a packet header and that is used to determine a protocol type, andidentification information of the IP network device.

Step S103: The OFS sends the OpenFlow control message to the OFC, suchthat after receiving the OpenFlow control message, the OFC enables,according to the protocol type carried in the OpenFlow control message,a corresponding switched network control plane protocol component toprocess the OpenFlow control message.

This embodiment is a processing process when the IP network device sendsa message to the OpenFlow device.

The converting, by the OFS, the IP network control plane protocolmessage into an OpenFlow control message may include encapsulating, bythe OFS, the identification information of the IP network device in theTCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocol message intoan address field in the OpenFlow control message, where theidentification information of the IP network device is a source IPaddress and/or a source MAC address in the TCP/IP data packet,correspondingly encapsulating, by the OFS, the field value that is inthe packet header of the TCP/IP data packet and that is used todetermine the protocol type into a field that is used to identify aprotocol type and that is in the OpenFlow control message, andencapsulating, by the OFS, the payload information in the TCP/IP datapacket into an information field in the OpenFlow control message.

A packet header field in the OpenFlow control message includes anEthernet type, an IP Protocol type number, and MAC addresses, IPaddresses, and destination TCP port numbers of the OFS and the OFC.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of Embodiment 2 of a method for communicationbetween an OpenFlow device and an IP network device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment is described usingan OFS to execute the method. This embodiment is a processing processwhen the OpenFlow device sends a message to the IP network device. Asshown in FIG. 2, the method in this embodiment may include the followingsteps.

Step S201: The OFS receives an OpenFlow control message sent by an OFC,where the OpenFlow control message includes a routing message, and therouting message is payload information of an IP network control planeprotocol message constructed by the OFC.

Step S202: The OFS converts the OpenFlow control message into the IPnetwork control plane protocol message.

Step S203: The OFS sends the IP network control plane protocol messageobtained through conversion to the IP network device.

Before the converting, by the OFS, the OpenFlow control message into theIP network control plane protocol message, the method further includesdetermining, by the OFS according to a message type in the OpenFlowcontrol message, the payload information of the IP network control planeprotocol message is encapsulated in the OpenFlow control message.

If the OpenFlow control message further includes a destination IPaddress corresponding to the IP network control plane protocol message,the converting, by the OFS, the OpenFlow control message into the IPnetwork control plane protocol message may include finding, by the OFS,device identification information of the IP network device from a linkconnection database according to the destination IP address, where thedevice identification information includes at least an IP address and/ora MAC address, assigning, by the OFS, the found device identificationinformation of the IP network device to a destination IP network deviceidentification information field in a TCP/IP data packet of the IPnetwork control plane protocol message, assigning, by the OFS, a fieldvalue that is used to identify a protocol type and that is in theOpenFlow control message to a corresponding protocol type field in apacket header of the TCP/IP data packet of the IP network control planeprotocol message, encapsulating, by the OFS, an information field in theOpenFlow control message into a payload of the TCP/IP data packet of theIP network control plane protocol message, and respectively assigning,by the OFS, an IP address, a MAC address, and a TCP port number of theOFS to a source IP address, a source MAC address, and a TCP port numberof the TCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocolmessage.

The step S203 may include finding, by the OFS from the link connectiondatabase according to the destination IP address, a physical port thatconnects the OFS to the IP network device, and sending, by the OFS, theIP network control plane protocol message obtained through conversion tothe IP network device using the found physical port.

This embodiment of the present disclosure provides the method forcommunication between an OpenFlow device and an IP network device.According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, an OpenFlowcontrol message is used to carry payload information, a field value in apacket header which is used to determine a protocol type, andidentification information of the IP network device that are in a TCP/IPdata packet of an IP network control plane protocol message in order toencapsulate the IP network control plane protocol message into theOpenFlow control message for transmission between an OFS and an OFC,such that communication between the OpenFlow device and the IP networkdevice can be implemented, the OFC does not need to process a TCP/IPprotocol stack twice, and extra overheads of the OFC are avoided.

In addition, the IP network control plane protocol message is reportedto the OFC using the OpenFlow control message and the IP network controlplane protocol message is delivered to the OFS, such that the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message can be separated from a Packet In messageand from a Packet Out message for reporting user data, which facilitatesdistinguishing and processing messages of different functional types bythe OFS and the OFC.

The technical solution in the method embodiment shown above is describedin detail below using a specific embodiment.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, the OpenFlowcontrol message is an OFPT_IPCONTROL message. In this embodiment of thepresent disclosure, based on original 35 message types in theOpenFlow1.4 specification, a brand new message type: an OFPT_IPCONTROLmessage is introduced. In this embodiment, a message format of theOFPT_IPCONTROL message is defined as follows:

ofp_header: OpenFlow Header;

router_ip: an IP address of a non-OFS (NOFS) associated with aconventional IP network control plane protocol message encapsulated inthe message;

type: a protocol type of the conventional IP network control planeprotocol message encapsulated in the message; and

data: the conventional IP network control plane protocol messageencapsulated in the message.

A coding format of “type” is defined as follows:

“eth_type”: 16 bits, an Ethernet type number, corresponding to anEthernet type number in a packet header of an IP data packet carried inthe conventional IP network control plane protocol message;

“ip_proto”: 8 bits, a protocol type number, corresponding to an IPprotocol number in the packet header of the IP data packet carried inthe conventional IP network control plane protocol message; and

“tcp_port”: 16 bits, a destination TCP port number, corresponding to aTCP destination port number in the packet header of the TCP/IP datapacket carried in the conventional IP network control plane protocolmessage.

The following describes a method process in this embodiment of thepresent disclosure in detail.

When the IP network device sends a message to the OpenFlow device, aprocessing process of sending a conventional IP network control planeprotocol message from the NOFS to the OFC using the OFS is as thefollowing steps:

Step S11: The NOFS sends a conventional IP network control planeprotocol message to the OFS.

Step S12: After receiving a data packet sent in S11, the OFSencapsulates a message that is in a payload of the data packet into anOFPT_IPCONTROL message.

The step S12 further performs the following steps:

Step S121: The OFS receives the data packet sent in S11.

Step S122: The OFS determines whether the data packet includes theconventional IP network control plane protocol message, and if yes,perform S123; or if not, perform S125.

Step S123: The OFS extracts key information from the data packet sent inS11 and encapsulates the key information into the OFPT_IPCONTROLmessage. In an embodiment, the key information encapsulated into theOFPT_IPCONTROL message comprises a Packet Header of the data packetstores information related to the OFS and the OFC, payload Data in thedata packet carries an OFPT_IPCONTROL_OF message, “ofp_header” in theOFPT_IPCONTROL is consistent with “ofp_header” in another OpenFlowmessage, “router_ip” in the OFPT_IPCONTROL is equal to a source IPaddress in the data packet sent in S11, “type: eth_type” in theOFPT_IPCONTROL is equal to “eth_type” in the data packet sent in S11,“type: ip_proto” in the OFPT_IPCONTROL is equal to “ip_proto” in thedata packet sent in S11, “type: tcp_port” in the OFPT_IPCONTROL is equalto a destination TCP port number, for example, ofs_tcp_port, in the datapacket sent in S11, and “data” in the OFPT_IPCONTROL is assigned to thePayload Data in the data packet sent in S11, for example, a BorderGateway Protocol update message (BGP).

Step S124: The OFS sends the OFPT_IPCONTROL message encapsulated in S123to the OFC.

Step S125: The OFS processes the data packet in common coherent logic.

Step S13: The OFS sends the OFPT_IPCONTROL message constructed in S12 tothe OFC.

Step S14: After receiving the OFPT_IPCONTROL message sent in S13, theOFC sends the OFPT_IPCONTROL message to a corresponding conventional IPnetwork control plane protocol module for processing. Thereafter, whenthe OpenFlow device sends a message to the IP network device, aprocessing process of sending a conventional IP network control planeprotocol message from the OFC to the NOFS using the OFS is as thefollowing steps:

Step S21: A conventional IP network control plane protocol module of theOFC constructs a message, and the OFC encapsulates the message into anOFPT_IPCONTROL message, which further performs the following steps:

Step S211: The conventional IP network control plane protocol module ofthe OFC constructs a message “data”, which carries “router_ip”.

Step S212: The OFC constructs Payload Data of a data packet: anOFPT_IPCONTROL message according to information in S211, where“ofp_header” in the OFPT_IPCONTRO is consistent with “ofp_header” inanother OpenFlow message, “router_ip” in the OFPT_IPCONTRO is equal to“router_ip” in S211, “data” in the OFPT_IPCONTRO is equal to “data”encapsulated in S211, and “type” in the OFPT_IPCONTRO may be obtainedthrough calculation by the conventional IP network control planeprotocol module that sends the “data”.

Step S213: The OFC constructs a Packet Header of the data packet.

Step S22: The OFC sends the OFPT_PCONTROL message constructed in S21 tothe OFS.

Step S23: The OFS converts the OFPT_IPCONTROL message received in S22into an IP network control plane protocol message of a standard format.

Step S231: The OFS receives the data packet sent by the OFC.

Step S232: The OFS determines whether the data packet includes theOFPT_OF_IPCONTROL, and if yes, perform S123; or if not, perform S125.

Step S233: The OFS extracts key information from the data packet sent inS22 and encapsulates the key information into a corresponding standardIP network control plane protocol message. For example, the keyinformation encapsulated into a corresponding standard IP networkcontrol plane protocol message comprises the Packet Header of the datapacket stores information related to the OFS and the NOFS, “eth_type” isequal to “type: eth_type” in the OFPT_IPCONTROL sent in S22, “ip_proto”is equal to “type: ip_proto” in the OFPT_IPCONTROL sent in S22, and“destination port number” is equal to “type: tcp_port” in theOFPT_IPCONTROL sent in S22.

A link connection database (LCDB) is searched for corresponding “MAC”and “IP” using “router id” as an index and the corresponding “MAC” and“IP” are assigned to a destination MAC address and an IP address thatare in the OFPT_IPCONTROL. A source MAC address and an IP address arerespectively a MAC address and an IP address of the OFS, and a sourceTCP port number may be allocated in a particular mechanism.

Step S234: The OFS sends the standard IP network control plane protocolmessage encapsulated in S233 to the NOFS.

Step S2341: Search the LCDB using “router id” as an index for a numberof a physical port directly connected to the NOFS on the OFS.

Step S2342: The OFS forwards, from the physical port acquired in S2341,the standard IP network control plane protocol message encapsulated inS233.

Step S235: The OFS processes the data packet in common coherent logic.

Step S24: The OFS sends the IP network control plane protocol message inS23 to the NOFS.

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of an OFSaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG.3, the OFS in this embodiment includes at least one first logicalinterface 111 connected to an IP network device, at least one secondlogical interface 112 connected to an OFC, and a message converter 113.

The first logical interface 111 is configured to receive an IP networkcontrol plane protocol message sent by the IP network device and forwardthe IP network control plane protocol message to the message converter.The message converter 113 is configured to convert the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message into an OpenFlow control message, wherethe OpenFlow control message is used to carry information about a TCP/IPdata packet of the IP network control plane protocol message, and theinformation about the TCP/IP data packet includes payload information, afield value that is in a packet header and that is used to determine aprotocol type, and identification information of the IP network device.The message converter 113 is further configured to send the OpenFlowcontrol message to the second logical interface 112. The second logicalinterface 112 is configured to send the OpenFlow control message to theOFC, such that after receiving the OpenFlow control message, the OFCenables, according to the protocol type carried in the OpenFlow controlmessage, a corresponding switched network control plane protocolcomponent to process the OpenFlow control message.

That the message converter 113 may be configured to encapsulate theidentification information of the IP network device in the TCP/IP datapacket of the IP network control plane protocol message into an addressfield in the OpenFlow control message, where the identificationinformation of the IP network device is a source IP address and/or asource MAC address in the TCP/IP data packet, correspondinglyencapsulate the field value that is in the packet header of the TCP/IPdata packet and that is used to determine the protocol type into a fieldthat is used to identify a protocol type and that is in the OpenFlowcontrol message, and encapsulate the payload information in the TCP/IPdata packet into an information field in the OpenFlow control message.

A packet header field in the OpenFlow control message includesinformation such as an Ethernet type, an IP type number, and MACaddresses, IP addresses, and destination TCP port numbers of the OFS andthe OFC.

The OFS provided in this embodiment may be configured to perform thetechnical solution in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and theirimplementation principles are similar, which are not described in detailherein again.

This embodiment of the present disclosure provides the OFS. According tothis embodiment of the present disclosure, an OpenFlow control messageis used to carry payload information, a field value that is in a packetheader and that is used to determine a protocol type, and identificationinformation of an IP network device that are in a TCP/IP data packet ofan IP network control plane protocol message in order to encapsulate theIP network control plane protocol message into the OpenFlow controlmessage for transmission between an OFS and an OFC, such thatcommunication between the OpenFlow device and the IP network device canbe implemented, the OFC does not need to process a TCP/IP protocol stacktwice, and extra overheads of the OFC are avoided.

In addition, the IP network control plane protocol message is reportedto the OFC using the OpenFlow control message and the IP network controlplane protocol message is delivered to the OFS, such that the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message can be separated from a Packet In messageand from a Packet Out message for reporting user data, which facilitatesdistinguishing and processing messages of different functional types bythe OFS and the OFC.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 2 of an OFSaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG.4, the OFS in this embodiment includes at least one first logicalinterface 121 connected to an IP network device, at least one secondlogical interface 122 connected to an OFC, and a message converter 123.The second logical interface 122 is configured to receive an OpenFlowcontrol message sent by the OFC, where the OpenFlow control messageincludes a routing message, and the routing message is payloadinformation of an IP network control plane protocol message constructedby the OFC, and forward the OpenFlow control message to the messageconverter 123. The message converter 123 is configured to convert theOpenFlow control message into the IP network control plane protocolmessage and send the IP network control plane protocol message obtainedthrough conversion to the first logical interface 121. The first logicalinterface 121 is configured to send the IP network control planeprotocol message obtained through conversion to the IP network device.

Further, the message converter 123 is further configured to determine,according to a message type in the OpenFlow control message, that thepayload information of the IP network control plane protocol message isencapsulated in the OpenFlow control message before converting theOpenFlow control message into the IP network control plane protocolmessage.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 3 of an OFSaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG.5, further, based on the structure shown in FIG. 4, the OFS in thisembodiment further includes a link connection database memory 124, wherethe link connection database memory 124 is configured to store theOpenFlow control message in a link connection database. Moreover, if theOpenFlow control message further includes a destination IP addresscorresponding to the IP network control plane protocol message, themessage converter 123 may be configured to find device identificationinformation of the IP network device from the link connection databaseaccording to the destination IP address, where the device identificationinformation includes at least an IP address and/or a MAC address, assignthe found device identification information of the IP network device toa destination IP network device identification information field in aTCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocol message,assign a field value that is used to identify a protocol type and thatis in the OpenFlow control message to a corresponding protocol typefield in a packet header of the TCP/IP data packet of the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message, encapsulate an information field in theOpenFlow control message into a payload of the TCP/IP data packet of theIP network control plane protocol message, and respectively assign an IPaddress, a MAC address, and a TCP port number of the OFS to a source IPaddress, a source MAC address, and a TCP port number of the TCP/IP datapacket of the IP network control plane protocol message.

The first logical interface 121 is configured to find, from the linkconnection database according to the destination IP address, a physicalport that connects the OFS to the IP network device, and send the IPnetwork control plane protocol message obtained through conversion tothe IP network device using the found physical port.

The OFS provided in this embodiment may be configured to perform thetechnical solution in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and theirimplementation principles are similar, which are not described in detailherein again.

This embodiment of the present disclosure provides the OFS. According tothis embodiment of the present disclosure, an OpenFlow control messageis used to carry payload information, a field value that is in a packetheader and that is used to determine a protocol type, and identificationinformation of an IP network device that are in a TCP/IP data packet ofan IP network control plane protocol message in order to encapsulate theIP network control plane protocol message into the OpenFlow controlmessage for transmission between an OFS and an OFC, such thatcommunication between the OpenFlow device and the IP network device canbe implemented, the OFC does not need to process a TCP/IP protocol stacktwice, and extra overheads of the OFC are avoided.

In addition, the IP network control plane protocol message is reportedto the OFC using the OpenFlow control message and the IP network controlplane protocol message is delivered to the OFS, such that the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message can be separated from a Packet In messageand from a Packet Out message for reporting user data, which facilitatesdistinguishing and processing messages of different functional types bythe OFS and the OFC.

A system for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IP networkdevice provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure includes theOFS and the OFC shown in FIG. 3, where the OFS is connected to the OFC,and the OFC is configured to receive an OpenFlow control message, andenable, according to a protocol type carried in the OpenFlow controlmessage, a corresponding switched network control plane protocolcomponent to process the OpenFlow control message; or a system forcommunication between an OpenFlow device and an IP network deviceprovided in an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the OFS andthe OFC shown in FIG. 4, where the OFC is configured to send an OpenFlowcontrol message to the OFS, where the OpenFlow control message includesa routing message, and the routing message is payload information of anIP network control plane protocol message constructed by the OFC.

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 4 of an OFSaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG.6, the OFS in this embodiment includes a receiver 131 connected to an IPnetwork device, and a transmitter 132, a memory 133, and a processor 134(there may be one or more processors 134, and in FIG. 5, one processoris used as an example) that are connected to an OFC. In this embodimentof the present disclosure, the receiver 131, and the transmitter 132,the memory 133, and the processor 134 may be connected using a bus or inanother manner, where a connection using a bus is used as an example inFIG. 5. The receiver 131 is configured to receive an IP network controlplane protocol message sent by the IP network device and forward the IPnetwork control plane protocol message to the processor 134. The memory133 is configured to store program code. The processor 134 is configuredto invoke the program code stored in the memory 133, to converting theIP network control plane protocol message into an OpenFlow controlmessage, where the OpenFlow control message is used to carry informationabout a TCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocolmessage, and the information about the TCP/IP data packet includespayload information, a field value that is in a packet header and thatis used to determine a protocol type, and identification information ofthe IP network device, and send the OpenFlow control message to thetransmitter.

The transmitter 132 is configured to send the OpenFlow control messageto the OFC, such that after receiving the OpenFlow control message, theOFC enables, according to the protocol type carried in the OpenFlowcontrol message, a corresponding switched network control plane protocolcomponent to process the OpenFlow control message.

The converting, by the processor 134, the IP network control planeprotocol message into an OpenFlow control message may be encapsulatingthe identification information of the IP network device in the TCP/IPdata packet of the IP network control plane protocol message into anaddress field in the OpenFlow control message, where the identificationinformation of the IP network device is a source IP address and/or asource MAC address in the TCP/IP data packet, correspondinglyencapsulating the field value that is in the packet header of the TCP/IPdata packet and that is used to determine the protocol type into a fieldthat is used to identify a protocol type and that is in the OpenFlowcontrol message, and encapsulating the payload information in the TCP/IPdata packet into an information field in the OpenFlow control message.

A packet header field in the OpenFlow control message includesinformation such as an Ethernet type, an IP type number, and MACaddresses, IP addresses, and TCP port numbers of the OFS and the OFC.

The OFS provided in this embodiment may be configured to perform thetechnical solution in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and theirimplementation principles are similar, which are not described in detailherein again.

This embodiment of the present disclosure provides the OFS. According tothis embodiment of the present disclosure, an OpenFlow control messageis used to carry payload information, a field value that is in a packetheader and that is used to determine a protocol type, and identificationinformation of an IP network device that are in a TCP/IP data packet ofan IP network control plane protocol message in order to encapsulate theIP network control plane protocol message into the OpenFlow controlmessage for transmission between an OFS and an OFC, such thatcommunication between the OpenFlow device and the IP network device canbe implemented, the OFC does not need to process a TCP/IP protocol stacktwice, and extra overheads of the OFC are avoided.

In addition, the IP network control plane protocol message is reportedto the OFC using the OpenFlow control message and the IP network controlplane protocol message is delivered to the OFS, such that the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message can be separated from a Packet In messageand from a Packet Out message for reporting user data, which facilitatesdistinguishing and processing messages of different functional types bythe OFS and the OFC.

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 5 of an OFSaccording to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7, the OFS in thisembodiment includes a receiver 141 connected to an IP network device,and a transmitter 142, a memory 143, and a processor 144 (there may beone or more processors 144, and in FIG. 6, one processor is used as anexample) that are connected to an OFC. In this embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the receiver 141, the transmitter 142, the memory 143, andthe processor 144 may be connected using a bus or in another manner,where a connection using a bus is used as an example in FIG. 6. Thereceiver 141 is configured to receive an OpenFlow control message sentby the OFC, where the OpenFlow control message includes a routingmessage, and the routing message is payload information of an IP networkcontrol plane protocol message constructed by the OFC, and forward theOpenFlow control message to the processor 144. The memory 143 isconfigured to store program code. The processor 144 is configured toinvoke the program code stored in the memory, to converting the OpenFlowcontrol message into the IP network control plane protocol message, andsending the IP network control plane protocol message obtained throughconversion to the transmitter 142.

The transmitter 142 is configured to send the IP network control planeprotocol message obtained through conversion to the IP network device.

The memory 143 is further configured to store the OpenFlow controlmessage in a link connection database.

The processor 144 is further configured to determine, according to amessage type in the OpenFlow control message, that the payloadinformation of the IP network control plane protocol message isencapsulated in the OpenFlow control message before converting theOpenFlow control message into the IP network control plane protocolmessage.

If the OpenFlow control message further includes a destination IPaddress corresponding to the IP network control plane protocol message,the converting, by the processor 144, the OpenFlow control message intothe IP network control plane protocol message includes finding deviceidentification information of the IP network device from the linkconnection database according to the destination IP address, where thedevice identification information includes at least an IP address and/ora MAC address, assigning the found device identification information ofthe IP network device to a destination IP network device identificationinformation field in a TCP/IP data packet of the IP network controlplane protocol message, assigning a field value that is used to identifya protocol type and that is in the OpenFlow control message to acorresponding protocol type field in a packet header of the TCP/IP datapacket of the IP network control plane protocol message, encapsulatingan information field in the OpenFlow control message into a payload ofthe TCP/IP data packet of the IP network control plane protocol message,and respectively assigning an IP address, a MAC address, and a TCP portnumber of the OFS to a source IP address, a source MAC address, and aTCP port number of the TCP/IP data packet of the IP network controlplane protocol message.

That the transmitter 142 may be configured to find, from the linkconnection database according to the destination IP address, a physicalport that connects the OFS to the IP network device, and send the IPnetwork control plane protocol message obtained through conversion tothe IP network device using the found physical port.

The OFS provided in this embodiment may be configured to perform thetechnical solution in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and theirimplementation principles are similar, which are not described in detailherein again.

This embodiment of the present disclosure provides the OFS. According tothis embodiment of the present disclosure, an OpenFlow control messageis used to carry payload information, a field value that is in a packetheader and that is used to determine a protocol type, and identificationinformation of an IP network device that are in a TCP/IP data packet ofan IP network control plane protocol message in order to encapsulate theIP network control plane protocol message into the OpenFlow controlmessage for transmission between an OFS and an OFC, such thatcommunication between the OpenFlow device and the IP network device canbe implemented, the OFC does not need to process a TCP/IP protocol stacktwice, and extra overheads of the OFC are avoided.

In addition, the IP network control plane protocol message is reportedto the OFC using the OpenFlow control message and the IP network controlplane protocol message is delivered to the OFS, such that the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message can be separated from a Packet In messageand from a Packet Out message for reporting user data, which facilitatesdistinguishing and processing messages of different functional types bythe OFS and the OFC.

A system for communication between an OpenFlow device and an IP networkdevice provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure includes theOFS and the OFC shown in FIG. 5, where the OFS is connected to the OFC,and the OFC is configured to receive an OpenFlow control message, andenable, according to a protocol type carried in the OpenFlow controlmessage, a corresponding switched network control plane protocolcomponent to process the OpenFlow control message or a system forcommunication between an OpenFlow device and an IP network deviceprovided in an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the OFS andthe OFC shown in FIG. 6, where the OFC is configured to send an OpenFlowcontrol message to the OFS, where the OpenFlow control message includesa routing message, and the routing message is payload information of anIP network control plane protocol message constructed by the OFC.

In the several embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it shouldbe understood that the disclosed apparatus and method may be implementedin other manners. For example, the described apparatus embodiment ismerely exemplary. For example, the unit division is merely logicalfunction division and may be other division in actual implementation.For example, a plurality of units or components may be combined orintegrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or notperformed. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings ordirect couplings or communication connections may be implemented usingsome interfaces. The indirect couplings or communication connectionsbetween the apparatuses or units may be implemented in electronic,mechanical, or other forms.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physicallyseparate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units,may be located in one position, or may be distributed on a plurality ofnetwork units. Some or all of the units may be selected according toactual needs to achieve the objectives of the solutions of theembodiments.

In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the presentdisclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each of theunits may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integratedinto one unit. The integrated unit may be implemented in a form ofhardware, or may be implemented in a form of hardware in addition to asoftware functional unit.

When the foregoing integrated unit is implemented in a form of asoftware functional unit, the integrated unit may be stored in acomputer-readable storage medium. The software functional unit is storedin a storage medium and includes several instructions for instructing acomputer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or anetwork device) or a processor to perform a part of the steps of themethods described in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Theforegoing storage medium includes any medium that can store programcode, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive, a removable harddisk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magneticdisk, or an optical disc.

It may be clearly understood by persons skilled in the art that, for thepurpose of convenient and brief description, division of the foregoingfunction modules is taken as an example for illustration. In actualapplication, the foregoing functions can be allocated to differentfunction modules and implemented according to a requirement, that is, aninner structure of an apparatus is divided into different functionmodules to implement all or part of the functions described above. For adetailed working process of the foregoing apparatus, reference may bemade to a corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, anddetails are not described herein again.

Finally, it should be noted that the foregoing embodiments are merelyintended for describing the technical solutions of the presentdisclosure, but not for limiting the present disclosure. Although thepresent disclosure is described in detail with reference to theforegoing embodiments, persons of ordinary skill in the art shouldunderstand that they may still make modifications to the technicalsolutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalentreplacements to some or all technical features thereof, withoutdeparting from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodimentsof the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method implemented by an OpenFlow switch (OFS),the method comprising: receiving, from an Internet Protocol (IP) device,an IP network control plane protocol message; converting the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message into an OpenFlow control messagecomprising information about a Transmission Control Protocol/IP (TCP/IP)data packet, wherein the information comprises payload information, afield value that is in a packet header and is used to determine aprotocol type, and identification information of the IP network device;and sending the OpenFlow control message to an OpenFlow controller (OFC)for the OFC to enable, according to the protocol type, a correspondingswitched network control plane protocol component to process theOpenFlow control message.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein theconverting comprises: encapsulating the identification information intoan address field in the OpenFlow control message; encapsulating thefield value into a field in the OpenFlow control message that is used toidentify a protocol type; and encapsulating the payload information intoan information field in the OpenFlow control message.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein a packet header field in the OpenFlow control messagecomprises an Ethernet type, an IP type number, and media access control(MAC) addresses, IP addresses, and destination TCP port numbers of theOFS and the OFC.
 4. A method implemented by an OpenFlow switch (OFS),the method comprising: receiving from an OpenFlow controller (OFC) anOpenFlow control message comprising a routing message, wherein therouting message is payload information of an Internet Protocol (IP)network control plane protocol message constructed by the OFC;converting the OpenFlow control message into the IP network controlplane protocol message; and sending the IP network control planeprotocol message to an IP network device.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein, before the converting, the method further comprisesdetermining, according to a message type in the OpenFlow controlmessage, that the payload information of the IP network control planeprotocol message is encapsulated in the OpenFlow control message.
 6. Themethod of claim 4, wherein the OpenFlow control message furthercomprises a destination IP address corresponding to the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message, and wherein the converting comprises:finding, according to the destination IP address, device identificationinformation of the IP network device from a link connection database;assigning the device identification information to a destination IPnetwork device identification information field in a TransmissionControl Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) data packet of the IPnetwork control plane protocol message; assigning, to a correspondingprotocol type field in a packet header of the TCP/IP data packet, afield value in the OpenFlow control message that identifies a protocoltype; encapsulating an information field in the OpenFlow control messageinto a payload of the TCP/IP data packet; and assigning an IP address, amedia access control (MAC) address, and a TCP port number of the OFS toa source IP address, a source MAC address, and a TCP port number of theTCP/IP data packet, respectively.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein thesending comprises: finding, from the link connection database accordingto the destination IP address, a physical port that connects the OFS tothe IP network device; and sending the IP network control plane protocolmessage to the IP network device using the physical port.
 8. An OpenFlowswitch (OFS) comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memoryand configured to: receive an Internet Protocol (IP) network controlplane protocol message from an IP network device; convert the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message into an OpenFlow control message, whereinthe OpenFlow control message comprises information about a TransmissionControl Protocol/I P (TCP/IP) data packet, wherein the informationcomprises payload information, a field value that is in a packet headerand is used to determine a protocol type, and identification informationof the IP network device; and send the OpenFlow control message to anOpenFlow controller (OFC) for the OFC to enable, according to theprotocol type, a corresponding switched network control plane protocolcomponent to process the OpenFlow control message.
 9. The OFS of claim8, wherein the processor is further configured to: encapsulate theidentification information into an address field in the OpenFlow controlmessage; encapsulate the field value into a field in the OpenFlowcontrol message that is used to identify a protocol type; andencapsulate the payload information into an information field in theOpenFlow control message.
 10. The OFS of claim 9, wherein a packetheader field in the OpenFlow control message comprises an Ethernet type,an IP type number, and media access control (MAC) addresses, IPaddresses, and destination TCP port numbers of the OFS and the OFC. 11.An OpenFlow switch (OFS) comprising: a memory; and a processor coupledto the memory and configured to: receive from an OpenFlow controller(OFC) an OpenFlow control message comprising a routing message, whereinthe routing message is payload information of an Internet Protocol (IP)network control plane protocol message constructed by the OFC; convertthe OpenFlow control message into the IP network control plane protocolmessage; and send the IP network control plane protocol message to an IPnetwork device.
 12. The OFS of claim 11, wherein, before the converting,the processor is further configured to determine, according to a messagetype in the OpenFlow control message, that the payload information ofthe IP network control plane protocol message is encapsulated in theOpenFlow control message.
 13. The OFS of claim 11, wherein the OpenFlowcontrol message further comprises a destination IP address correspondingto the IP network control plane protocol message, and wherein theprocessor is further configured to: find, according to the destinationIP address, device identification information of the IP network devicefrom a link connection database; assign the device identificationinformation to a destination IP network device identificationinformation field in a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol(TCP/IP) data packet of the IP network control plane protocol message;assign, to a corresponding protocol type field in a packet header of theTCP/IP data packet, a field value in the OpenFlow control message thatidentifies a protocol type; encapsulate an information field in theOpenFlow control message into a payload of the TCP/IP data packet; andassign an IP address, a media access control (MAC) address, and a TCPport number of the OFS to a source IP address, a source MAC address, anda TCP port number of the TCP/IP data packet, respectively.
 14. The OFSof claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to: find, fromthe link connection database according to the destination IP address, aphysical port that connects the OFS to the IP network device; and sendthe IP network control plane protocol message to the IP network deviceusing the physical port.
 15. A system comprising: an OpenFlow switch(OFS) configured to: receive an Internet Protocol (IP) network controlplane protocol message from an IP network device; convert the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message into an OpenFlow control messagecomprising information about a Transmission Control Protocol/I P(TCP/IP) data packet, wherein the information comprises payloadinformation, a field value that is in a packet header and is used todetermine a protocol type, and identification information of the IPnetwork device; and send the OpenFlow control message; and an OpenFlowcontroller (OFC) configured to: receive the OpenFlow control messagefrom the OFS; and enable, according to the protocol type, acorresponding switched network control plane protocol component toprocess the OpenFlow control message.
 16. The system of claim 15,wherein the OFS is further configured to: encapsulate the identificationinformation into an address field in the OpenFlow control message;encapsulate the field value into a field in the OpenFlow control messagethat is used to identify a protocol type; and encapsulate the payloadinformation into an information field in the OpenFlow control message.17. The system of claim 16, wherein a packet header field in theOpenFlow control message comprises an Ethernet type, an IP type number,and media access control (MAC) addresses, IP addresses, and destinationTCP port numbers of the OFS and the OFC.
 18. A system comprising: anOpenFlow controller (OFC); and an OpenFlow switch (OFS) configured to:receive from the OFC an OpenFlow control message comprising a routingmessage, wherein the routing message is payload information of anInternet Protocol (IP) network control plane protocol messageconstructed by the OFC; convert the OpenFlow control message into the IPnetwork control plane protocol message; and send the IP network controlplane protocol message to an IP network device.
 19. The system of claim18, wherein before the converting, the OFS is further configured todetermine, according to a message type in the OpenFlow control message,that the payload information of the IP network control plane protocolmessage is encapsulated in the OpenFlow control message.
 20. The systemof to claim 18, wherein the OpenFlow control message further comprises adestination IP address corresponding to the IP network control planeprotocol message, and wherein the OFS is further configured to: find,according to the destination IP address, device identificationinformation of the IP network device from a link connection database;assign the device identification information to a destination IP networkdevice identification information field in a Transmission ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) data packet of the IP networkcontrol plane protocol message; assign, to a corresponding protocol typefield in a packet header of the TCP/IP data packet, a field value in theOpenFlow control message that identifies a protocol type; encapsulate aninformation field in the OpenFlow control message into a payload of theTCP/IP data packet; and assign an IP address, a media access control(MAC) address, and a TCP port number of the OFS to a source IP address,a source MAC address, and a TCP port number of the TCP/IP data packet,respectively.